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iPad gets the Opera Mini treatment, we wonder what took so long

Opera's been working its Norwegian charms on the iPhone since last Spring, and it's been flirting with tablets since CES, but up until now the browsers yet to put the moves on the iPad. Considering how much it gets around, we're surprised it didn't happen sooner, but Opera announced yesterday that it would show off a new version of Opera Mini on a number of platforms at MWC this year, including Android, iPhone, J2ME, BlackBerry, Symbian, and yes -- the iPad. There's no word on what the iPad version will bring -- or when, for that matter -- but we're guessing it will probably sport the same smooth zoom and multiple-page grid we saw previewed on Opera for tablets. For more on the world's most promiscuous browser, check out the full PR after the jump.


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One hundred million
Oslo, Norway - February 10, 2011

More than 100 million people use an Opera browser each month on their mobile phones. According to the numbers issued today in Opera's State of the Mobile Web report, 90.4 million people now use Opera Mini every month and approximately 15 million people use Opera Mobile each month. In all, 105 million people use Opera on their phones.

"Experts all have some date when they claim the mobile Web will overtake the PC web - we're watching that transition now," said Jon von Tetzchner, Co-founder of Opera Software. "But, rather than think of numbers, we think of people. 100 million is the beginning of a new era for the Web. In the next few years, hundreds of millions of people will take their first baby steps online. They will make their voices heard across their country and around the world. They will not only discover new ideas, but contribute their own. We defend those voices and celebrate those ideas. It is why we believe access to the Web is a universal right, and no device is more universal than a mobile phone."

For a more detailed overview of the mobile revolution, please take a look at the fresh-from-the-servers State of the Mobile Web report. Every month, we cover the mobile Web in greater detail than any other company can. Visit http://www.opera.com/smw/ to read the report.

Opera shows what comes next at Mobile World Congress

105 million people might use Opera's browsers today, but Opera Software cares even more about tomorrow. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, new versions of the Opera Mini browser on Android, iPhone, J2ME, BlackBerry, Symbian and even the iPad will appear. The Opera Mobile browser will not be left behind either, with the latest version for Android and Symbian making their debut. Come by the booth to say hello, check out what is coming up next, or tell us what you would like to see from us next. We are in Hall 1, Booth C44.

"Our developers have been hard at work building the mobile browser of the future - for both consumers and mobile operators," said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. "We want our browser to impact lives in a meaningful way. It's one reason we use mostly renewable resources to power Opera Mini's servers. It's why we make it light, so you don't have to recharge your battery every few hours. It's why Opera Mini and Opera Mobile can help operators reduce the bandwidth that clogs their networks. A browser may never change the world, but we'll never stop trying to."